EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Eric Dungey laughed off the thought of a time when he’ll have to stop looking Amba Etta-Tawo’s way.

“I hope not,” the quarterback said.

Zaire Franklin interrupted and questioned the thought to himself. “Why would you? Dude’s a savage. Dude’s crazy,” he muttered while looking down at the box score printed out in front of him.

What it showed was a record-shattering 12 catches for 270 yards and two touchdowns for Etta-Tawo. He set a new SU record for yards in a game — breaking one that had stood since 1985 — became the first Orange receiver to record at least 200 yards in a game twice and is the first Syracuse player to start a season with four straight 100-yard receiving games.

Etta-Tawo was the backbone of the Syracuse (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) offense in a 31-24 win over Connecticut (2-2, 0-1 American Athletic) at Rentschler Field on Saturday. He finished with 58 percent of the team’s yards and was targeted on 18 of Dungey’s 40 throws.

“We really think Amba can beat anyone out there,” Syracuse head coach Dino Babers said. “He is an exceptional player with a lot of God-given ability. … He has really taken off.”

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MORE COVERAGE:

• Will Amba Etta-Tawo lead the nation in receiving yards?
• Syracuse snaps two-game losing streak with 31-24 win
• SU community reacts to the Orange’s first road win since 2014
• Grade Syracuse and vote for player of the game

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All-AAC cornerback Jamar Summers was supposed to be the player to stop Etta-Tawo. The Huskies left Summers on an island with the Syracuse graduate transfer, and SU took advantage.

On the first drive, Summers bit on a fake handoff letting Etta-Tawo run by. Dungey’s throw was short, but Etta-Tawo slowed up, caught it along the left sideline and cut across the right behind a block by fellow receiver Ervin Philips for the 57-yard score.

Three minutes later, Etta-Tawo smacked Summers’ hands away on a bump-and-run. There was no safety help (it was shaded toward Philips), so Etta-Tawo burned by Summers and Dungey dropped the 30-yard touchdown pass in.

“It was a challenge I didn’t come prepared for,” Summers said.

“Today was just my day,” Etta-Tawo said.

Before five minutes had elapsed in the game Etta-Tawo already had five catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

He was clearly Dungey’s first read on the majority of the passing plays. Dungey threw several jump balls Etta-Tawo’s way. More often than not, he came down with the catches.

“Dungey and Amba, that’s a tag team,” Babers said.

Tony D. Curtis | Staff Photographer

The Huskies defense adjusted by playing Summers back off the line, surrendering the short-to-medium timing routes. Then linebackers and safeties started shading over to help in zone coverage.

As Etta-Tawo’s numbers stalled in the second and third quarters, so did the Syracuse offense.

But facing third-and-7 from its own 4-yard line with about five minutes left in a one-score game, Dungey went back to his favorite target. He heaved another pass high in the air that Etta-Tawo hauled in for a 59-yard gain. Summers dove and swiped for it and missed. The Orange went on to score the game-winning touchdown on the drive.

“I’m sure that some defensive coordinator is going to say, ‘Hey that’s enough,’ and take him away,” Babers said, “and then it’s going to be time for somebody else to step up in that group.”

But through four games, that hasn’t yet happened. The passes, statistics and records keep going Etta-Tawo’s way.

Published on September 24, 2016 at 6:41 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus